HOUSTON — FIFA officials are in Houston for a site visit that could determine whether or not H-Town becomes a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The officials landed in Houston on Monday and will spend the next 36 hours touring the city to see what it has to offer.
After three years of planning, Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee President Chris Canetti said it all comes down to this visit.
"Tomorrow's a big day," Canetti said. "This one day is so meaningful. There are so many moving parts. It's our best opportunity to make our best impression and with that comes great pressure."
It's one shot to show FIFA why Houston deserves to be one of 10 cities to host World Cup matches in 2026. If selected, Houston would host six matches. That's the equivalent of six Super Bowls in a few weeks.
"It could be more than $1 billion in revenue to the city of Houston. It's huge," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.
The FIFA delegation will tour the NRG Park complex and other practice sites. They'll ride the light rail, see Discovery Green and get a true taste of Houston on the big stage.
"We asked them ahead of time 'would you like to go to the game?'" Turner said. "Something else was planned for them, and they unanimously said, 'take us to the game.'"
FIFA officials will watch the Houston Astros play Game 1 of the World Series. The timing of the visit couldn't be better.
"They're going to see firsthand how Houston handles major sporting events," Canetti said. "It's a huge opportunity."
Downtown Houston will be energized and Minute Maid Park will be rocking.
"They will see Houston buzzing and so much activity," Canetti said. "It will be a great thing."
The bid committee hopes it all helps Houston seal the deal.
The Bid Committee and FIFA officials will hold a press conference during their visit at Discovery Green on Tuesday at 5 p.m.